


Stumbling In

by Morning_Glory



Series: Well I Guess This Is Growing Up [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Incredible Hulk (2008), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Complicated Relationships, Developing Relationship, F/M, Families of Choice, Issues, M/M, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-08
Updated: 2013-12-07
Packaged: 2018-01-03 22:20:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1073722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morning_Glory/pseuds/Morning_Glory
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For every choice, there are consequences and the future of a relationship may rest on the secrets of the past.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stumbling In

**Author's Note:**

> This story starts directly after the last chapter of Giant Leap and follows Darcy, Bucky and Steve as they try to figure out making their relationship work, which involves a lot more confronting the secrets of their pasts than they thought.
> 
> My muse is finicky, so that, plus exams, holidays, and other real life stuff, updates will be slow, at least for a while.
> 
> As always, all mistakes are mine, all characters are not.

* * *

 

Darcy pulls back from the kiss with a gasp at the feel of Bucky's free hand landing on her hip. It's not that being so close to them is strange for her, they touch all the time, but now the intent is different. They _all_ know it's different. She shivers, pressing back against Steve to steady herself when that same hand moves higher, beneath the edge of her sweater, seeking bare skin. When his thumb brushes just above the waistband of her jeans, so similar to Steve’s actions before, Darcy opens her eyes to see Bucky watching her. 

"Okay?" His voice is raspy, with an edge of lingering concern. This is so new for them, and it took so long to get to this moment, she can't blame him for that. She squeezes his hand and nods before squirming her way out from between them.

“Darce?” She hears the worry in Steve’s tone, but knows if she stops to reassure him, she’ll lose her nerve. Darcy pauses just outside the hallway leading to Steve’s room and peels her sweater off over her head, revealing the long-sleeved t-shirt underneath. She peeks back over her shoulder as she drop it to the floor.

“Well?” She doesn't wait to see if they move, just flees, -and she thinks that is definitely the right word for it- to the bedroom. She sits at the foot of the bed, fidgeting until she hears a sound at the door. Bucky navigates the mess on the floor with more ease than Darcy had, crouching down in front of her so she'll meet his eyes. 

"You know we're not going that far tonight, right?" his tone is cautious, like he's worried about upsetting her and Darcy shakes her head. 

"Needed to sit down before my knees gave out," her voice waivers slightly as she fights an embarrassed laugh. "And your couch isn't big enough for the three of us to be comfortable doing this." Bucky puts his hands on her knees and leans up to steal a quick kiss. 

" _Challenge accepted_." The promise in his voice sends shivers up her spine and he grins at the sudden redness in her cheeks. "We can test that out next time." His hands slide higher up her legs until they reach her hips and Darcy squeaks as he easily lifts her off the bed when he stands. Her hands grab for his shoulders to steady herself, gripping tight as he crawls on his knees up the mattress and lowers her carefully with her head on the pillows. She always forgets how strong he actually is until he does something to show it off, and it's always a major turn on for her when it happens. He smirks when Darcy squirms against him. 

Bucky moves his hands to the bed, propping himself up as his eyes study her. He must like whatever he sees in her face because he leans down to kiss her again, slowly, possessively, claiming her in a way their other kisses didn't before inviting her in to do the same to him. He pulls back, leaving both of them gasping, and flops down beside her at the muffled curse from the doorway. Bucky peers over his shoulder with a grin. 

"You two have no idea how amazing you look together." Steve has lost his tie and jacket somewhere along the way and starts working on the buttons on his collar as he watches them. 

"Maybe you should come get a closer look, Punk," Bucky teases him and Steve looks to Darcy for approval. She licks her lips, absently noting how both men follow the action, before reaching out her hand and wiggling her fingers at Steve. 

He grins, crawling up the bed on her other side, and Darcy can't hold in the whimper as Steve leans over her to kiss Bucky, just inches away from her. She watches them, wide-eyed and panting at the heated exchange, so different from the other kiss she saw between them, and Darcy can't help wondering if they're putting on a show for her right now, to see how she responds. Steve breaks away, eyes dark as he turns his attention to her. 

His kiss is more careful than Bucky's, just as slow, but less staking a claim than an exploration, testing what reactions he can draw from her. Steve tilts Darcy's head for a better angle, leaving her neck bared for Bucky, who doesn't pass up the opening to get his mouth back on her skin. Darcy moans at the sensations as they work together, with the ease of years of knowledge and experience as teammates, to overwhelm her with their hands and mouths. It isn't until she feels Bucky's fingers sliding against her bare stomach that her brain checks back in and she realizes she has to stop. 

"Wait," both men stop immediately, backing off as she sits up between them. Darcy struggles to catch her breath and feels more than sees as they sit up to watch her, wanting to be sure she's okay. She waves off the concern. "Just give me a sec." 

She hates this part, but knows it isn't fair to them to keep hiding it. There's already been too many secrets in this relationship and it's barely started. She has to tell them now, give them the chance to change their minds before things go any farther. They deserve to know what they're getting into right from the beginning. She tugs at the hem of her shirt, trying and failing to ignore the mix of interest and concern from Steve and Bucky. They sound unsure and Darcy gets that. She's not sure about this either, but it needs to be done. 

She tugs the shirt over her head, the right side coming up first, but stops short with the shirt still mostly covering her left side, hunching over to hide the scars she knows are just visible now. She's not ready to give them up yet, they've only just started, and she's terrified of their reaction, imagining disgust and rejection, or even worse to her mind, pity. Darcy thinks she could take them walking away, she's used to people doing that, but not them staying because they feel bad for her or something. That train of thought is cut off when Steve starts talking. 

"Darce, you don't have to do this." Seeing the obvious hesitation, Steve uses his most reassuring voice. On her other side, Bucky strokes the bare skin of her right shoulder soothingly. She takes a final steadying breath. 

"No, I really do. You need to see." Darcy lowers her head and closes her eyes as she tugs the shirt off the rest of the way and drops it in her lap. She bites her lip, tensing at the audible reactions, strangled gasps and muffled curses. One of them, she doesn't know which, makes a soft sound that reminds her of a wounded animal. Darcy can't bring herself to look up at either of them. She startles at the feel of lips pressing lightly against her scarred shoulder and turns, wide-eyed, to look at Steve, who stares back with nothing but calm acceptance. 

"Whenever you're ready to tell us, we're here." Her eyes burn slightly at how quickly he accepted it, and he kisses her shoulder again, never taking his eyes off hers. Darcy blinks back the tears as she feels fingers slide against her jaw and Bucky turns her head to look at him. His expression is less calm, almost sad as he looks at her and she can't deal with it. The hand still on her face keeps her from turning away, so she averts her eyes instead. 

"Did you think this would freak us out?" Bucky finally asks, and she can hear the forced evenness of his tone. Darcy nods, keeping her eyes lowered and Bucky sighs as she clenches her hands tighter, twisting the shirt between her fingers. His hands drop down to cover her own, stilling them. "You really think we’d be put off by a few scars?"

"It's not... " Darcy shakes her head, leaving the thought hanging. Bucky narrows his eyes as he studies her before squeezing her hands and asking her a question. 

"Darce, you remember the jokes you used to make about seeing me without a shirt?" 

Darcy gives a startled whimper of a laugh, surprised by the sudden change in direction of the conversation. Of course she remembers that, and she's more than willing to let him sidetrack this talk right now. Her voice is a little shaky when she answers. "That it happened more often than seeing you _with_ one?" 

"Right," he squeezes her hands lightly, an edge of humor adding to the curiosity in his voice. "And what did you notice when I did?" 

That makes Darcy finally lift her head, eyes flicking over him as she thinks about how to respond to that. There are so many potential answers to choose from, from wordless sounds of appreciation to admitting to some of the more elaborate fantasies about his abs, so she goes with what might be her safest option. 

"That you had more muscles than was fair for any guy your age?" She knows she's blushing, can feel the heat in her cheeks as Steve tries to muffle his laugh to her left. Bucky grins, leaning in to kiss her, and despite her confusion, she lets him. Distracted as she is -because _damn_ , does he know what he's doing with his mouth- she mostly ignores the bed shifting with Bucky's movement.

"What about now?" He whispers against her lips as he backs away. She recognizes that dangerous, teasing tone of his and Darcy's heart pounds as she opens her eyes. She blinks dumbly for a moment while it sinks in that he distracted her with a kiss so he could take off his shirt and she really hopes she's not drooling. 

Not counting when she was hungover and he was pressed against Steve, it's been a while, probably since before starting school here, that she's seen him without his shirt like this. He's filled out, more lean and wiry than skinny, muscles even more defined, and obviously past that awkward in-between phase; clearly more man than boy now. He is also no longer smooth, just a light dusting of hair that Darcy had no idea she'd find as appealing as she does. She resists the urge to reach out and touch him, but then something else catches her eye and she blinks. "When the hell did you pierce your nipple?" 

She looks up at Bucky as he snorts and Steve stops fighting off his laughter as he shifts to press tighter against her side. "Too many drinks at a frat party last year. The _point_ is, you weren’t focusing on the _scars_ , right?" 

And now Darcy sees where he's leading her. Not sure if she's ready, she tries to distract him with a joke. "If that’s some kinda veiled hint that you’ll be too busy staring at my tits…" It's a terrible attempt, but desperate times and all that.

It doesn't work. He never even glances away from her face. "It's hardly a hint, veiled or otherwise. I have a lot of plans that involve a lot more than just _staring_." Her heart thumps quickly at the way he says it, but drops just as suddenly as he becomes completely serious. "So why would it be different for _us_ than it is for you?"

"You guys spent a lifetime learning to show off your scars as proof you survived," Darcy's voice wavers slightly as she gives in, but that's her only outward reaction. It worries her that she can’t even guess how they’ll react anymore though. “I was taught to hide mine, be _ashamed_ of them, because others found them upsetting.” She takes a moment to steady her voice, and shakes her head when Steve looks like he's about to comment. She doesn't want to get lost in the details of _that_ ugly little bit of history right now. Instead, Darcy keeps moving forward. "Look, you didn't say it, but I know you were wondering why there's only been two before you. Now you know. Not everyone is willing to look past this _thing_ and just see me." Lost in her own thoughts for a moment, she almost misses the looks of anger Steve and Bucky exchange, like they want to track down and hurt whoever made her feel this way. It takes a few moments for either of them to calm down enough to speak. 

“Did you actually think we’d walk away?” Steve's voice might just be the softest Darcy's ever heard it, and it's tough, but they need some honesty in this relationship and she does want this to work. 

“You wouldn’t be the first.” She’s barely finished the words before Bucky has his hands framing her face, tilting it to make sure she’s looking at him.

“ _No_. Never gonna happen." His voice is sharp, eyes frantic, searching her face for understanding and seeing only shock. He stops to take a breath, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against hers for a moment to resettle. When he speaks again, he's calmer. "You think this changes anything? It doesn't. We're not going anywhere; wouldn't have when we were only friends, and definitely not now." Bucky leans back a little so he can look at her properly, not removing his hands, but shifting them to feel less confining. Darcy feels his fingers slip into her hair on one side while his other hand moves beneath her chin, his thumb sliding back and forth along her jaw. "Can't promise how this'll turn out for the three of us long term. Nobody knows going in whether they get the happy ending or not, but you agreed to try this, so you're stuck with us until _you_ call it quits, understand? We're _yours_ and you're _ours_ until _you_ change your mind and end things. Even then, I can't promise we won't fight to keep you. Am I being clear enough for you?"

Darcy looks at him, really looks, as she thinks over his words and actions, not just now but since she's known him. Despite any reasons not to, she believes him, trusts that he means every word, but it's hard to just accept it. Thirteen years is a lot of negative reinforcement to work through. Eventually, she nods and Bucky drops his head onto her right shoulder."You guys can't blame me for having doubts. I’ve had this part go bad before." 

"Just thought you knew us better than that, Darce." Steve can't quite hide the disappointment in his tone and Darcy flinches. Close as they are, both Bucky and Steve feel it, but before I either one can say anything more than her name she has her hands out, pushes one against each man's chest, trying to force them away. She knows she can't actually move them unless they let her, but it's enough to let them know they need to back off and give her space. 

They do, and it's a good thing because it takes everything she has not to lash out at them again, make some cutting comment about how they were hiding so much from her all these years, how could she possibly trust what she knows about them. But she doesn't want to fight anymore, doesn't want to cause all of them that pain, so she takes a breath and pulls her hands back. Or tries to, anyway. 

While both men have backed off, they've also each covered her hands with their own where she has them pressed against their chests, holding them in place; fabric under one palm, flesh under the other and the feel of two heartbeats thumping beneath her hands. She tugs again and their holds tighten, letting her know without words that they aren't letting her run. It’s surprisingly effective, as reassurances go, and settles Darcy’s nerves more than anything else they’ve done so far. She takes a deep breath, exhaling slowly and focusing on relaxing her muscles. The silence doesn't last. 

"Darce, I'm _sorry_. I didn't mean that the way it sounded." Steve shakes his head, hunching over and face red. He squeezes Darcy's hand. "I honestly don't understand why everything that comes out of my mouth is so _horrible_ when I'm around you now. I was never this bad at talking to you before." 

Darcy manages a weak laugh as she leans sideways into Steve’s chest, trying to offer comfort as much as she can without the use of her hands, which Bucky and Steve still have pinned. He brings his free arm up around her shoulder pulling her into an awkward half-hug. “Tradition” she murmurs, and Bucky chokes on a laugh at the confused sound Steve makes. “Steve, in as long as I’ve known you, you’ve managed to offend _every_ girl you’ve ever dated at least once within the first couple of weeks. We used to bet on how long it would take you.”

“You’re terrible people and I hate you all.” His voice is completely deadpan, but Darcy can feel him shaking with suppressed laughter against her. "Why?" 

Bucky shakes his head, still chuckling. “It was like finally getting the girl threw you off stride, _every damn time_. But that's how we knew which were the good ones,” Bucky lifts Darcy so she's partly in Steve's lap, and moves closer, all three of them shifting around a little to fit together more comfortably. “They’d give you the chance to find your footing instead of just leaving.”

"And how is that supposed to work with _you_?" Steve nudges Darcy lightly before running his hand up and down her back. She thinks he means it to be soothing, but the slow drag of callused fingers along her spine makes her shiver instead, something neither man could possibly miss, curled up as close as they are. "Your first instinct is to run." 

"You hope that I can fight that urge long enough for it to pass. If not, then you either have to be quick enough to catch me before I get too far, or hope you know me well enough to figure out where I go to ground. And if all else fails, ask Clint. He'll be able to find me." Darcy keeps her voice steady, not offering a threat or a challenge, just the simplest of facts. There's a possibility that something will make her run, and they're aware enough of that to talk to her about it now, which is a good sign. "Despite what you seem to think, it usually takes something major to get me to go. It just proves how out of my depth I am with all this that it's even an issue right now. I'm trying, but we still have a lot to figure out, so I'll probably be on edge for a while. At least until I'm convinced this is real."

"Okay, but you have to talk to us about this stuff too. We can't avoid the mines if we don't know we've entered the field." Bucky shifts his hand, curling it around and underneath hers so he can link their fingers. The familiarity of the gesture is comforting. "Bad communication is what made this situation messy in the first place. We're trying to fix that going forward."

"Fair enough. But I can't promise no explosions or someone getting hurt by whatever fallout comes from it." Darcy sighs, resigned to the idea that at some point they're going to dig into what got each of them here and it will be full of painful realizations for everyone. She tells them so, and they say they understand, but in the end it'll be worth it. Darcy can't bring herself to admit that if she _ever_ tells them the whole truth, about _everything_ , it might just break Bucky completely.

“It's okay that you still have doubts about this, Doll. It'll take time, that's all." Bucky presses soft kisses against her skin, randomly placed and without any intent beyond comfort. She closes her eyes and just relaxes into the moment, a temporary lull between heavy emotions. The moment breaks when Bucky makes a questioning sound and Darcy looks before realizing it wasn't directed at her, but at Steve, who watches her intently.

"You thought we'd look at you differently if we knew about this." It's not a question. Steve's fingers trail down her arm, following the edges of the scars and Darcy's not sure how to react. Part of her wants to pull away and hide, cover it back up and pretend none of this happened. Another part continues cataloguing his reactions, willing to wait for any kind of negative response to signal her to run. And one small part focuses on the fact that it's been such a long time since anyone touched her there, like _that_ , she'd almost forgotten how _sensitive_ parts of it are. Her attention snaps back to Steve as he speaks again. "That's part of why you were so hesitant about saying yes to us?" 

Darcy nods, fighting the urge to squirm under the look he gives her. She actually _sees_ his pupils dilate as a slow grin twists Steve's lips and his entire attitude shifts in a way that makes her tremble. His arm slides around her waist, pulling her all the way into his lap, head lowering and lips moving across her skin teasingly light as he speaks. "Mmm, looking forward to very thoroughly proving you wrong then. We’ll just have to show you exactly how beautiful we think you are." Her gasp is cut off as Steve kisses her again. Bucky presses against her other side, tight enough she can _feel_ the rumbling of his laugh before she hears it, and grins against her jaw.

“You have no idea what you're in for now, Doll." Darcy shivers at his teasing whisper so close to her ear. "You think _I'm_ mouthy? Just wait until this punk gets started. You might never stop blushing." Darcy moans raggedly at the thought and pulls away from Steve, biting off  a curse as he smirks at Bucky. 

“Don't tell her things like that, Jerk. You'll scare her away." 

“Nah, she’s tougher than that, aren't you, Doll?" Bucky chuckles, leaning in past Darcy toward Steve, close enough that for a second she thinks they're going to kiss again. Her breath catches at the idea, and while the sudden shift from fraught emotions to heat leaves her feeling slightly off balance, she actually hopes they do. They've let her see enough to realize that she wants more and thinking about it almost makes her miss the rest of what Bucky says. "You're _overdressed_ , Punk, so Darce and I are gonna go play over here, _by ourselves_ , 'til you fix that." 

He snakes his arm between Darcy and Steve, hooking it around her carefully to avoid hurting her and pulling Darcy across the bed with him. She squeaks at the suddenness of the movement but can't fight the giggling at the playfulness of how it was done, relieved to hear Steve laughing too. Darcy relaxes as Bucky arranges them lying on their sides facing each other with his back to the wall and Steve behind her. Bucky presses a hand against her back to shift her tighter against him as their legs tangle. 

"Okay?" he whispers, watching her closely for any sign that she doesn't want this. Part of her appreciates that he's still being so careful with her, that he cares enough to be worried, but the rest of her wishes he'd let go a little and kiss her again like he did before she took her shirt off. And that's when it hits her. She doesn't have to wait for him to make the move. Remembering her bravado from the beginning of the night, Darcy gives her own slow smile before she leans in to press her lips to his. 

She attempts to recreate their earlier kiss, deep and possessive, and Bucky gives in easily, opening for her and rolling back slightly so she leans over him a little to keep the right angle. He lets her lead, his enthusiastic reaction spurring her on and she stops holding back, finally giving her hands permission to explore him. Behind her, she hears a string of muffled curses and the sounds of Steve fighting his way out of his shirt as Bucky squirms and arches into her touch. Darcy chuckles when he breaks away with a sharp gasp as her fingers find his piercing for the first time and plays with it to test how sensitive it is. 

The bed shifts as Steve finally slides in behind her, curling around her back so his hands can join her exploration as he starts to whisper things in her ear; encouragements and praise, even suggestions for things to try that, when she does, make Bucky writhe and whimper. Lips and teeth and tongue join curious fingers and Bucky quickly pulls her up into another kiss. Steve's fingers brush through Darcy's hair, moving it out of the way so he can watch them before trailing over her shoulder and down her spine, hesitating briefly at the clasp of her bra.

"Pretty sure I'm not the one who's overdressed now. Does that mean Darcy can't play until she catches up?" Steve's just teasing, she knows that, but the feel of the grin he presses against her back and the way Bucky chuckles at the comment, the way that neither of them expects her to actually _do it_ , has her sitting up and getting rid of the dark blue lace before either of them can react.

Her actions are met with stunned silence for a long few moments, and Darcy blushes, starts to cover herself, thinking she's made a mistake. Her hands are caught, kept still as Steve and Bucky just look at her for a little longer. Eventually, Bucky reaches out to rest his hand on her waist, looking at Darcy for permission. She nods and his fingers glide up, exploring her the way she did him. It isn't long before Steve joins in, hands busy as he leans in to capture her lips with short, intense kisses broken up by more low whispers. They shift around, finding more comfortable ways for the three of them to fit together, and doesn't take much, before--

"Oh _fuck_ , stop." Darcy pulls back, panting, and they stop as she gives Steve a wide-eyed stare before covering her red face with both hands. " _Fuck_ , Steve. How can someone who looks so clean-cut have such a _filthy_ mouth?" Bucky grins at her as Steve laughs, stealing another quick kiss instead of giving an answer. "I would have expected that from Bucky, but not you. _Fuck_." 

"I did warn you, Doll. And to be fair, you're right. I'm just as bad, when I want to be." Darcy manages a strangled laugh and something in it makes Bucky really look at her. He inhaling sharply. "Are you-?" He presses up with his leg, caught between her thighs during their last repositioning, and she grinds down against it, biting off a moan. Steve goes still. "This has you right on the edge, doesn't it?" Darcy bites her lip and nods.

"Let us?" Steve moves his hand to the button of her jeans and tugs carefully, just to let her know what he's asking. He sees her hesitation and takes a shaky breath, leaning his head against her shoulder for a moment before pulling back and meeting her eyes again. "Nothing more than this." He moves his hand lower and flexes his fingers against her, watching the way her eyes flutter shut for a second before locking back on him. 

"One night." Bucky adds softly, catching Darcy's attention. "Just give us one night to celebrate, and enjoy that you said yes to us, before things have to get complicated again." Darcy opens her mouth to answer, but hesitates again. "Not everything. Won't even take anything else off if that's what you want. Please, Darce?" 

Both men make sounds of disappointment when Darcy pulls away without a word, but they back pedal quickly when she wriggles out of her jeans and lies herself back down between them. She licks her lips nervously as she watches them watch her.

"Okay. This much I can handle." She nods, reaching out to put a hand on Bucky's leg, and then the other on Steve. She gives a shaky smile. "Now you're _both_ overdressed. Does that mean I'm playing solo?"

Darcy has to close her eyes against their reactions, not ready for the overwhelming heat of the looks aimed at her. She distracts herself from the shifting of the bed and the sounds of belts and zippers and the slide of fabric, with a mental note to ask them later where they learned how to swear so creatively. She feels a finger drag lightly down her cheek and opens her eyes to see Steve, eyes bright but serious.

"You're sure?" Darcy nods and he kisses her as his hands start to roam. Bucky is quick to join in and all is lost in a haze of hot mouths and seeking hands. Steve's tongue sliding along her collarbone before his mouth trails lower. Bucky's fingers tangled with hers as they stroke Steve through his boxers. The sounds Bucky makes and the way he thrusts helplessly into her hand as Steve leans over her to gently tugs at Bucky's piercing with his teeth. Two sets of fingers touching, rubbing, _teasing_ , against wet lace, egging her on with words until she sobs their names as she comes. 

They lay together in the aftermath, sticky and panting, an exhausted tangle of limbs. Hands still touching carefully, stroking gently as lazy kisses press to whatever bare skin can be reached without moving. Darcy thinks she hears Steve mumble something about showers. 

Bucky gives a weak chuckle that she feels more than hears. "Gonna need a minute. I think you and Darce broke me." Steve snorts.

"If _this_ broke you, what do you think'll happen when we actually get naked?" Darcy cackles at Bucky's ragged groan as he thinks about Steve's words. He responds by poking her in the side weakly, making her squirm.

"Shush, you. Night's not over yet. I still have _plans_." Darcy whimpers. 

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> The high school prequel to this series is in-progress, as trying to work on one seems to inspire writing for the other. Also in-progress are continuations for Broken Remnants, As The World Falls Down, And Solitude My Guide, and Words I Can’t Say, plus a few other wip plotbunnies kicking around, so things will happen as they happen. I'll try not to leave any evil cliffhangers laying around.


End file.
